1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a device for moving and detaching a panel, and more particularly, to a device for moving and detaching a panel of car audio equipment in which the panel can be detached from the car audio body and opens and closes a recording medium inserting slot by a sliding plate which has a rear side installed in the panel and is upwardly and downwardly movable.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Recently developed types of audio equipment are generally compact. The panel installed in the front side of an audio apparatus comprises a liquid crystal display to display information about operations of the audio equipment, function knobs to indicate the operations, a recording medium inserting slot, and the like. In a car installed with the car audio having the panel, if the audio equipment is stolen when the car is unoccupied, it is proposed that the equipment cannot be used without the panel, thereby discouraging possible theft by detaching the panel from an escutcheon.
In the appended figures, FIG. 1 is a side view of a panel detaching apparatus, and FIG. 2 is a plan view of the panel when the panel detaching apparatus is installed on the car audio equipment.
Reference symbol A represents an audio equipment body and B a panel. At the front of audio equipment body A is formed a hollow portion 2 that accommodates panel B. On one side of hollow portion 2 is formed an inwardly projecting strip 3 that is adapted to fit into an engagement recess 1 of panel B. At the rear of hollow portion 2 in the audio equipment body A, a shaft 11 is provided on which a first arm 12 is rotatable. First arm 12 is urged toward hollow portion 2 by a torsion spring 13 wound on shaft 11. First arm 12 has a holder 14 mounted thereon through a shaft 15. Holder 14 also has a shaft 16 on which is supported an engagement claw 17 that has a claw portion 17a to fit into engaging recess 4 of panel B and is rotatable. Wound on shaft 16 is a torsion spring 18 whose ends are engaged with holder 14 and engagement claw 17 to urge claw portion 17a of engagement claw 17 to fit in engaging recess 4. On the back of hollow portion 2, a shaft 19 is secured to a support piece 19a at a position farther away from hollow portion 2 than shaft 11 and close to the end of first arm 12. Shaft 19 and a shaft 20 of holder 14 are connected together by a second arm 21. First arm 12 has a stopper pin 22 erected thereon, and a support plate having a vertically disposed shaft is mounted at the back of hollow portion 2. On shaft of support plate is supported a rotating plate 25 that has an engagement notch 25a to engage with stopper pin 22. A torsion spring 26 wound on shaft and engaged with support plate urges rotating plate 25 in a direction that causes engagement notch 25a to engage with stopper 22. Rotating plate 25 is connected with a link plate 28 that is mounted on a push knob 27, which projects from the front surface of the audio equipment body A. When push knob 27 is depressed, rotating plate 25 is rotated against the force of torsion spring 26 so as to disengage its engagement notch 25a from stopper pin 22. When pressing of the push knob 27 is stopped and then released, rotating plate 25 is rotated by torsion spring 26 until its engagement portion 25b comes into contact with a stopper arm 24a of support plate. Rotating plate 25, while rotating, pushes back push knob 27 and then stops.
Next, the procedure for removing panel B from audio equipment body A will be explained.
First, when push knob 27 is pressed, rotating plate 25 is rotated so as to release stopper pin 22 from engagement notch 25a, and then first arm 12 is rotated by torsion spring 13 in a direction that pushes panel B out of equipment body A. Then, holder 14 which is connected to first arm 12 through shaft 15 departs from audio equipment body A together with engagement claw 17 that is mounted on holder 14 through shaft 16. Since shaft 20 of holder 14 is connected with second arm 21, shaft 20 of holder 14 moves along a locus of second arm 21. Panel B is urged downwardly as indicated in FIG. 2 by the rotation of first arm 12, so that panel B rotates about an engagement point between engagement recess 1 and protruded strip 3. At this time, since claw portion 17a of engagement claw 17 is disengaged in the engaging recess 4 of panel B, it moves along a locus of an arc about the engagement point of recess 1. Also at the same time, holder 14 and engagement claw 17 are returned to the original position by torsion spring 18. Panel B is pushed downwardly in FIG. 2 for disconnecting protruded strip 3 from engagement recess 1, and is released from audio equipment body A.
However, the conventional panel detaching apparatus requires a number of members for connecting the push knob and the engagement claw. Therefore, the number of procedures required when the user attaches the panel detaching apparatus to the car stereo body is numerous. Accordingly, it takes an inordinate time for the user to attach the panel detaching apparatus.
Also, the conventional panel detaching apparatus is arranged with the connection members from the push knob to the engagement claw in a longitudinal direction of the panel. Thus, a wide space for the panel detaching apparatus is required.
Also, the construction of the panel is complex due to the front face having the recording medium inserting slot.